Time for a change?

So, here we are at the back end of February and although the weather remains cold and (largely) miserable, it is at this time of year that Spring starts to come into view on the horizon, with its lighter evenings and gradually warmer weather. It is also at this time of year that thoughts start to turn to the possibility of a new bike (and by that I mean new to me - not sure I'd ever actually buy new from a showroom because when you wheel it out, you immediately lose 25% of its value, which seems a strange economy to me, but that's by the by....).

This is year 3 of owning the Z1000 and I have to say that I've enjoyed every minute of it (apart from being blown all over the place on Belgian motorways, due to lack of wind protection). But overall, it is a fantastic bike with power, character and presence and it does everything I ask of it. And I still look at it and think "pfwooooorrrrr"! So why thoughts of change? Well, it's what we do as bikers isn't it? There's always something newer, faster, shinier, comfier and it's nice to get the full experience isn't it?

Look at this monstrosity!

What I can say at the outset is that any "new" bike WON'T be a BMW, nor will it be one of those "adventure" bikes that seem so popular these days. Not only are they pig ugly, they are often ridden by people called Malcolm who kid themselves they're a cross between Ewan McGregor and Dr. David Livingstone, eating miles and traversing continents when in actual fact they live in a 3-bed semi in Surbiton and use the bike to pop to the shops! I exaggerate of course....(but not by much!).

So what is on the Chairman Chegwin wish list these days? I had a bit of a thing for a long time about the Ducati Diavel, but although undoubtedly a very good bike, it left me a bit uninspired (especially at the price). When thoughts of a new steed do start to take hold, Triumph's excellent Speed Triple is never far away from consideration. The bike mags all love it and it sells very well - and yet, despite admiring from afar, I've never been *that* moved to go and get myself one. These days the styling puts me off a bit and it seems to get smaller with each passing year, which is no good to those of us with, shall we say, a more "robust" frame. Call me old fashioned but I like a bike with over 1000ccs to actually feel like a bike that's got 1000ccs.

So what else? Well, this is definitely one from the leftfield but I have to admit to a bit (ok, a lot) of a man crush on the gorgeous Kawasaki W800. It sounds barmy but I absolutely love the looks and, while I haven't (yet) ridden one, sitting astride it, it fits like a glove. It is soooo comfortable and just felt so.....right! Ultimately, it would be a more sedate option than the rather more manic Z1000 I have now, but I think it would be SERIOUS fun. A second bike perhaps? Hmmm....

However, my new object of desire (and it is only an object, since I haven't actually seen one in the flesh as yet) is the MV Agusta Brutale 1090R - there's a sportier "RR" version too. I mean, just look at it....it's absolutely....brutal! The naked superbike class is definitely where I'm positioned as a biker and a buyer these days and this would certainly be a natural progression from the almost-as-brutal Z1000. But there's always a downside isn't there? Yes, it's Italian! Which means that as sure as night follows day, it will be unreliable and bits will fall off at regular intervals. And, naturally, it's expensive....with a list price of £12,500. Is it worth it? I have absolutely no idea. But the question I ask myself is: is it £7,500 better than what I paid for my Z1000? On a straight comparison, they're actually fairly similar bikes - and this is where reality starts to bite because I'm not about to plunge a lot of money on what is effectively a punt. Bike dealers must hate people like me.

So, what happens now? Well....precisely nothing! I still love the Z1000 and I haven't seen many other bikes that do it for me as much as my current bike does. It's only coming up to 17k miles, runs like a dream, looks fantastic and is in many ways the perfect bike.

So why get rid? This love affair has a while to run yet methinks....